On March 11, 2020, the NBA announced the suspension of the 2019–20 season following Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert testing positive for COVID-19 hours before the Jazz road game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. On June 4, the NBA Board of Governors approved 29–1 resuming the 2019–20 season in Orlando, Florida at Walt Disney World, after prior consideration of Las Vegas and Houston as potential spots. On June 5, 2020, the National Basketball Players Association approved negotiations with the NBA.
Resumption of the season
On June 16, 2020, the NBA released a medical protocol to be used during the season restart in the bubble to ensure the health and safety of players, coaches, officials, and staff. This includes regular testing for COVID-19 prior to and throughout the season restart, wearing a face covering or mask, and social distancing to prevent an outbreak of COVID-19 from occurring. Players and coaches who are deemed "high-risk individuals" by their team, or players who have already suffered season-ending injuries prior to season suspension, will not be permitted to play and will also not lose any salary. Any player who is medically cleared may also decline to participate but they will lose their corresponding paychecks. The protocol outlined six phases to ensure a smooth transition into the bubble and a successful end to the season:
Phase 1 of the plan ran from June 16 to 22, consisting of players traveling back to the home cities of their respective teams.
In Phase 2 from June 23 to June 30, COVID-19 tests began being administered to players every other day.
In Phase 3 from July 1 to July 11, mandatory individual workouts were conducted at team facilities, but group workouts were prohibited.
Phase 4 was from July 7 to July 21, consisting of the teams traveling to Disney World and conducting practices. Any player who tested positive in the previous phases could not travel being medically cleared to do so. Once teams arrive in Orlando, players and staff were isolated in their rooms, required to pass two Polymerase chain reaction tests 24 hours apart before being let out of this quarantine. They will still be regularly tested for COVID-19 afterwards throughout the season. A player who tests positive will be isolated and re-tested in case of a false positive; if COVID-19 is definitely confirmed, he will be quarantined for at least 14 days to recover. Players and staff will not be permitted into another's room, nor will they be able to socialize with players on other teams staying at a different hotel building. They will have access to food and recreational activities within their hotel's bubble, but they will have to wear masks indoors except when eating. Anybody who leaves the bubble without prior approval will have to be quarantined for at least 10 days.
During Phase 5 from July 22 to 29, teams played three scrimmages against the other teams staying at the same hotel.
During Phase 6, as the regular season seeding games and playoffs are under way and teams begin to be eliminated from contention, players and staff on those clubs must pass one final COVID-19 test before they can leave Disney World.
With fans not being permitted to attend in person, the NBA installed 17-foot screens to allow 300 virtual fans to "attend" the games. On July 30, the season resumed as planned, with the Utah Jazz defeating the New Orleans Pelicans and the Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Los Angeles Clippers. The games are to be played across three Disney venues at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex: the HP Field House, the Visa Athletic Center, and The Arena.
Rules
The NBA produced a rule book of more than 100 pages to protect its players in an attempt to salvage the remainder of the season. Rules include isolation periods, testing requirements, and the potential for financial penalties. Any players subject to isolation periods when a game is scheduled must forego participating in the game to complete their isolation. The NBA has a hotline allowing people to anonymously report players who break the rules of the bubble, which players have referred to as the "snitch hotline." Masks must always be worn by players, with eating and exercise being exceptions. Additionally, staff working at these facilities must wear masks and gloves at all times. Players were not required to join the bubble, and at least 10 players declined to join their teams. Nobody is allowed to have guests, and all food is prepared within the bubble. Thus far, only three players have been cited for violating the rules of the bubble: Lou Williams, Richaun Holmes, and Bruno Caboclo.
Efficacy
The bubble has proven to be extremely effective at preventing the spread of COVID-19. Leading up to the resumption of play on July 30, there were two consecutive weeks of zero players testing positive for COVID-19.
Reaction
This decision by the NBA has received a mixed reaction from its players and coaches, with some players referring to it as a prison sentence. Other players complained about the food, with Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid showing his meal and said that he was "definitely losing 50 lbs."
Teams
22 teams were invited to the bubble: the 16 teams in playoff position and the six teams within six games.
Three official Disney resorts were chosen to host the teams, with the teams being arranged based on record entering the bubble. Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
With the George Floyd protests ongoing, the NBA, the NBPA, and the teams worked together to use the bubble as a platform for the Black Lives Matter movement. During warmups and while sitting on the bench, players wore T-shirts with large print and the text "Black Lives Matter." This phrase was also painted in large font on all official basketball courts being used for gameplay. Additionally, players were allowed the option to replace the names on the backs of their jerseys with a meaningful statement of their choice in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. The national anthem has been pre-recorded in advance exclusively by African American artists. Thus far, Jonathan Isaac is the lone player to stand during the national anthem and to elect not to wear a Black Lives Matter warm-up shirt, citing religious reasons for his decision. Other players respected his decision, even if they disagreed with him. Miami Heat player Meyers Leonard also chose to stand with his hand over his heart. His reasoning came down to his support for the military. San Antonio Spurs coaches Gregg Popovich, an outspoken supporter of Black Lives Matter, and Becky Hammon also chose to stand for their own reasons.
